With the increasing popularity of mobile applications, users of mobile devices are facing increased demands on bandwidth of those devices. Mobile applications must often compete with other applications for use of that bandwidth. Users are also sometimes restricted in their use of bandwidth. For example, some users have monthly bandwidth allotments based on their current data plan.
Additionally, with recent advances in mobile device technology, specialized circuitry is becoming increasingly available and inexpensive. For example, in recent years, magnetometers have been miniaturized to the extent that they can be incorporated in integrated circuits at very low cost. These magnetometers are finding increasing use as compasses in user devices such as mobile phones and tablet computers.